Association of Energy Engineers - KC Chapter - Event Information

Event Name:

February Meeting - State of the US Nuclear Industry

Description:

Description:
Since the history of nuclear power, dating back to the Manhattan project, nuclear energy has had a very rough life. This was commonly caused by grouping nuclear energy and nuclear weaponry into the same category.
After the movie “China Syndrome” and the accident at Three Mile Island, there has been much opposition to nuclear energy. This brought about a major change in the safety of nuclear reactors in the US; coining the phrase “zero tolerance safety”. Often causing the fourteen to twenty-year delays, raising the prices drastically and making nuclear energy “too expensive to matter”. After the accident at Chernobyl, lack of knowledge and the negative portrayal of the nuclear industry in the USA prevented it from becoming the energy leader that it was capable of becoming.
Many other countries never even faced many of the problems seen in the US. After decades of new research in the industry nuclear energy is ready to make its revival in the US. With increased knowledge about this energy source it could survive and thrive, permanently changing the energy market for the better.

8Bio:
Jason Jerrell, a student at Rockhurst university, has been doing research into the feasibility of nuclear energy for over a year. Originally being introduced to the topic by reading articles about ITER, a nuclear fusion device being built in France. This, along with an interest in clean energy development was one of his main reasons for becoming an engineer.
The Liquid Fueled Thorium Reactor (LFTR) that was built in Oak Ridge Tennessee in the 60’s and 70’s further peaked his interest. After the technology was proven to be sustainable on a large scale, the project was shut down due to negative public and political opinion.
The idea of completely clean, sustainable energy drove him. Through more research on Nuclear energy, Jason has been led to the conclusion that a better understanding on nuclear energy is necessary to further advance it in the US.